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Description
Alignment While Darelth does not use the alignment system in any manner, many of the published prestige classes have alignment as a prerequisite. Instead of using alignments, Darelth substitutes the following traits on a one-for-one basis: Alignment Darelth Trait Any Good Must not be tainted by shadow, nor have any negative levels Any Non-good Must be either tainted by shadow, or have at least one negative level. Any Evil Must be either tainted by shadow, or have more negative levels than Charisma bonus Any Non-evil Must not be tainted by shadow, and have fewer negative levels than Charisma bonus Any Lawful Must swear an appropriate oath (consult with GM) Any Non-lawful Must not be bound by an oath. Any Chaotic Must be Unbound (have no truename) Any Non-chaotic Must have a true name. Specific alignments can be matched by combining these traits. True Neutral, for instance, must be either tainted by shadow, or have fewer negative levels than Charisma bonus, must not be bound by an oath, and must have a true name. While the traits are couched in terms of the alignments they replace, they do not describe a character's moral or ethical stances. A warlock, for instance, may be honorable, compassionate, and merciful, exhibiting all the normal behaviors ascribed to the lawful good alignment, but because he is shadow-tainted, he qualifies for alignment-dependent prestige classes as if he were evil. Tainted By Shadow A character is "tainted by shadow" if they : are a shadowcaster, or are a member of a shadow-based prestige class, or are a warlock, or have more stygian powers than they have Wisdom bonus. Truenames A character's truename is their innermost, most secret, name, one that attached to their very soul. All intelligent beings - humans, xeph, goliaths, sharakim, and wyrm, have truenames. Animals and beasts do not. No power can force or compel a creature to reveal its truename. Characters discover their truename as part of a childhood ritual, usually a coming of age ceremony. While other people are usually involved in the ceremony (often a priest and the character's parents), the revelation of a character's truename is always private and secret. Some characters may never have the opportunity to discover their truename growing up, usually as the result of some calamity that prevents them from participating in their naming ritual. These characters are known as the Unbound, or Unnamed. Often, such characters will undergo a naming ritual as an adult, as being an Unnamed carries a strong stigma of untrustworthiness on Darelth. Some characters will refuse to participate in their naming ceremony as a child. These characters are also known as the Unbound, but seek adult naming rituals much less often. A very few characters repudiate their truename in a dark ceremony; such a step is so drastic that even fewer ever seek to undo their act. Those that do seek to restore their truename find the healing impossible to acheive. It is possible for a character to participate in many different naming rituals even after his truename is known. This has no additional effect, but is often used as part of an adoption ceremony. Category:Rules